Cooking apparatus



July 28, 1936. J. R. ANDERSON 2,048,759

COOKING APPARATUS Filed De'C. V15, 1934 .INVENTOR JOHN R. ANDERSON MATroRNEY .Patented July 1936 Nmuren STATES Prat Price cooxmGArrAnA'rUs John a. anderson, Rochester, N. y. Application December 1s, 1934, serial No. 'z57,638'

s claims. (ci. 126-.-29)

Thisinvention relates to cooking apparatus in the nature of a portable re basket whichmay be used conveniently by campers, picnickers, and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a gen.-

Another object is to provide such apparatus in a form which may be readily collapsed to occupy a comparatively small space when not in use.

Still another object is the provision of such apparatus so designed that the articles to be cooked may be placed at* one side of the fire rather than above it, so th/'at grease or other drip# pings from the food willnot fall into the fire.

A further object is the provision of .apparatus soconstructed that the re basket may be placed in different positions for'diierent kinds of cook'- 'lo these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts. all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end ofthe speciication. y,

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is la'perspective view of cooking-apparatus' constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, showing it in` a position of use; Y Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on a larger scale of one corner of the apparatus, illustrating details;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally substantially centrally through the apparatus; f

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a bottom member which ts within the fire basket, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view .of the apparatus set in a different position from that shown in Fig. l. The same reference numerals throughout the several views indicatethe same parts.'

The apparatus comprises, in general, walls j forming a hollow body capable of holding charcoal or other suitable fuel which i's burned within,

the body. There may be four such walls, preferably hingedly secured to each other to form a body which is a parallelogram in cross section, so

, that it may be opened up or erected to a body oi' form oi' plates indicated by the numerals 4I 0, forming opposite sides of' the body, while the other two walls may bemore or less open or reticulated. These other. two walls may each be conveniently formed by a rectangular frame including a top. bar II, a bottom bar I2, and side bars I3 joining the top and bottom bars at each end. These 5 various bars may be separate members welded, riveted, or otherwise suitably secured to each other, or they may all be cut from a single piece of sheet metal. Suitable retlculated material or screening I 4, preferably a wire screen of a kind 10 not seriously warped by heat, is secured in any suitable manner to each-frame so as to extend across the rectangular space enclosed by the members II, I2, and I3. If the frame is made of sheet metal,` the outer edge of each of the 15 bars II, I2, and I 3 may conveniently be doubled back upon itself to form a. channel for receiving an edge of the screen material I 6 to hold it in place, ,as shown in Fig. 2.

Each of these frames is pivoted or. hinged at 2O each end to one edgeof one of the'plates I0. Each plate I0 may be cut away at its upper and lower corners as indicated at IS in Figs. 1 and 2,

.and intermediate these corners the plate may have its edge doubled back upon itself or rolled 25 so as to hold a pin II which extends upwardly into a hole in the bar II formed by doubling back a projecting end of the bar II upon itself, and

, downwardly into a similar hole in the end of the Vand may be erected into the rectangular shape shown in Figs. 1 and 5, or may be collapsed to a much thinner structure in which the two sides 35 having the screens M in them lie much closer to eachother.

At thehun-om of each plate In is a na'nge ne (see Fig. 3) projecting inwardly or toward the corresponding flange on the opposite plate IIJ. 40 These two anges I9 form supports for a bottom member 20 which may be in the form of a at ,ber4 is removed, the fire basket may be collapsed' by folding the walls relatively to each other about theirhinged joints at the corners of the basket.

On each plate I0 isp/,suitable means for attach- 55 ing a detachable supporting member or leg. This attaching means preferably, is of a form which permits the supporting member or leg to be at-V tached in more than one position, so that the iire basket may be set in more than one position. For example, theattaching means may comprise l, a plate 25, riveted, spot welded or otherwise secured to the member l0, which plate 25 has`four bent-over ears or lugs 26 substantially around four sides of a square, as plainly shownin Figs. 1 and 5. These lugs 26 have a little space between them at the corners of the square, as shown. The leg member comprises a wire rod or the like bent to provide a substantially lll-shaped portion 28 near its middle, of the proper sizeto ilt between any two opposite lugs 26, and having two projecting ends or legs 29, as shown.

To attach the leg member, the top or horizontal part of the U-shaped portion may be inserted just above the bottom one oi the lugs 26, where the rounded corners of this U-shaped member will clear the lugs. The leg member is then moved upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the vertical parallel portions of the U- shaped part slide upwardly within the two side lugs 26, until the top or horizontal member cornes in Contact with the upper lug 26 which holds it against further upward movement. The leg member may be detached by a reverse operation.

When the leg member is attached in proper position, the -leg` portions 29 thereof extend obliquely outwardly `away from each other, and also preferably incline away from the plane of the member l0, as will be seen from Fig. 3. With such a leg member attached at each of two opposite sides of the ilre basket (that is, 'to each of the plates I0) it will be seen that the fire basket is adequately supported in a steady manner, and its bottom is held up oi of the ground so that the heat of the re will not accidentally set re to dry leaves or other inilammable material which may be onthe ground.

Adjustable bracket means is provided for supporting the food to be cooked at one side ofthe ireybasket. .The bars 1l may be provided with transverse holes 35 alined with each other when the basket isv in normal erected position, and a bracket member 36, formed of a length of wire or rod bent into generally U-shaped form, may

be inserted through these alined holes 35 asl shown in Fig. 1 and may be adjusted to-various positions by moving it longitudinally through the holes. A cross piece 3l, welded or otherwise suitably secured across the member 36 near the closed end thereof, serves as a stop member to limit the movement of the member 36 in one 'direction' through the holes 35, to a position in which the closed end of the member 36 projects from the plane of the side of the fire basket by an amount substantially equal to the projection vfrom such plane of the adjacent ends of the legs 29 when they are in the position shown in Fig. 1. Thus, without shiftinglthe position of the legs, the basket may, if desired, be tipped on its side and be the fire basket, as required, either by grasping' the frame 40 itself and moving it alo ng the bracket member` 36,. or by moving the bracket member 36, by grasping its opposite end, in one direction ur another through the holes 35. When the food is held in this position, it will be seen that it re. ceives the full heat-of the ilre through the reticulated side of the firebasket' whichis next to the food, yet itis not directly over .the iire so that it is relatively out of the way /ofsmoke from `the fire. Also `grease and other drippings from the food fall downwardly at theslde of the nre basket and do not fall into the fire itself, which might cause the re to blaze up and produce excessive smoke. .While the..'apparatus is being used in broiling in this manner, a coffee pot, frying pan,

or other desiredutensil maybe set on top of the in various different positions and need not always be 'inserted in the same position. Hence, if for` any reason it is desired to place the fire basket with its reticulated sides horizontal instead ofv vertical, the legs may be inserted into the square formed by the flanges26 from a different side,

with a result that the tlre basket will be supported in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 5. In this position, a frying pan or other utensil may rest on top of the upper reticulated side ofthe fire basket and receive full heat therefrom throughout .substantially its entire area. This position of the iire basket is useful when could also be used for broiling, although it is usually preferred to broil in the vertical position shown in Fig. 1.

When the cooking operation is completed, and the parts have cooled off,the bracket member 36 is removed by pulling it out of the holes 35, the legs 29 are taken off, and the bottom member 2l) is removed, which maybe done by raising one endof it by a finger inserted from beneath, until the opposite endl drops off of its supporting flange I9. With the bottom member 20 removed, the four walls of the ,fire basket may then be collapsed -to a substantially flat position, but with enough space left between the two reticulated walls so that the bottom 20, the two leg members, and the bracket member 36 may all be in- 'serted inside the collapsed body to form a compact, unitary package which may be easily transported.

I claim:

1. A portable re basket comprising two substantially rectangular frames, an open mesh screen held in each frame, two plates, hinge connections joining the frames and plates to each other to form a collapsible fuel holding body having a substantially parallelogram-shaped cross section, supporting legs, and means for detachably fastening said legs to said plates in either one of two different positions, in one of which said legs are effective to support one of -said screen substantially vertically, and in the other of which said legs are eiective to support said one of said screens substantially horizontally.

2. Cooking apparatus comprising walls vforming a hollow body for holding fuel, detachable supporting legs, and means for attaching said legs to said body in either of two different posiboiling .operations 'are desired, and obviously it sides of a square, and detachable supportingand when said legs are in the other of said posie tions, said bodymay be supported with said one oi itswalls substantially vertical for use in a diife'rent manner.

y 3. Cooking apparatus comprising a wall, `means on said wall forming ears substantially on four means including a portion insertable between any two opposite ears tobe held thereby, so that said supporting means may be attached to said wall in a plurality o! different positions for supporting said wall in a pluralityof different positions. L 4

4.. Cooking apparatus comprising walls forming a hollow body for holding fuel, means on one of said walls forming ears projecting outwardly and bent over and extending towardeach other substantially along four sides of.a square, and a detachable supporting member formed oi" a rod bent to provide a U-shaped portion insertable between the ears on any two, opposite sides of said square to beheld-thereby, so that .said sup. porting member may be attached to said wall in a plurality of diierent positions to support said fuel holding body in different positions for use in different ways.

5. Cooking apparatus comprising walls forming a hollow body for holding fuel, one of said wallshaving a plurality of openings therein, leg. means `extending downwardly and outwardly vfrom said body and terminating in ends offset laterally from said body, saidlegmeans serving to hold said body in an upright position with said one wall substantially vertical so that articles placed beside said wall may receive 'heat therethrough, and means projecting laterally from said body from a point adjacent that part of said body wh'ich is the top thereof when saidbody is in said upright position, said laterally projecting means and said laterally oifst leg means serving as supporting members for hold-y ing said body in a position turned substantially 90.from said upright position, with said one. of said walls arranged substantially horizontally so that articles to be heated may restl thereon.

6. Cooking apparatus comprising walls forming a fuel holding body of substantially' rectangular shape when `in normal position .of use.

said'walls on two opposite sides oi' said body having a plurality of openings therein, leg means associated with certain of said walls i'or supporting said body in an upright position with said- ,two walls substantially vertical, and "bracket `means supported by certain of said walls and;ex

tending laterallyV to provide a support from which Y L articles may be" hung in position adjacent one of said two walls having openings, to receive heat through said openings, said bracket means and said leg `means both extending laterally to points oifset by substantially equal distances from the planel of one of said two walls having openapproximately in a plane spaced from said body 20 and parallel to said one of said walls and deiining a stable' supporting base approximately in said plane, said leg means projecting from said body also to spaced points lyingapproximately in a plane'spaced from said body and perpendicular 25 to said one of said ,wallsand defining a stable supporting base approximately in said last named plane, so that either of said two supporting bases defined by said legs may be placed upon the ground to support said hollow body for use in 30 either of twodiierent positions both spaced substantially above the ground, in one of which positions said one-of said walls is approximately parallel with the ground so that-articles to be heated may rest thereon, and in the other of 35' which positions said lone of said walls is approxi- 4inately perpendicular to the ground so that articles to be heated may be hung along side of said one of said walls.

8. Cooking apparatus comprising walls form- .a y ing-a hollow body for holding fuel, means on said body forming ears projecting outwardly and bent'over` and extending toward each other substantially along 'four sides of a square, and a detachable supporting member including a portion Iinsertable between the ears .on any two opposite sides of said square,y so that said supporting member may be attached to said body in either of two positions substantially atea, right' angle to each other,A in one of which positions one wall of said body maybe supported substantially vertically so that articles to be heatedmaybe-hung along side of said wall, and in the other of which positions said one wall of said body may be sup- J OHN R. ANDERSON. 

